Selective seam detector



Aug. 1, 1933. c. 5. RICHARDSON 16 SELECTIVE SEAM DETECTOR Filed March 3, 1932 l 'Patented l9 33 V Y Q j I p Y 1,920,91s V f SELECTIVE ssAM ns'rsc'ron I Charles G. Richardson, Springfield, Vt, assignor v :1 to Parks s Woolson Machinecompany, Spring d field Vt, 'a fiorporation of Vermont I Application March a, 1932. Serial No.- 596,449

I 12 Claims. (01. 2 -17) Thisinvention relates tdselective feelers adapt Fig. 1 is a front elevation illustrating in a diaed for uselinfcloth finishing machinessuch as, grammatic manner the arrangement of parts of for example; a cloth shearing machine, to protect the apparatus as they are arranged at the front these'amed ends-oi two pieces of cloth against inof a cloth shearing machine, or other cloth finish- 5 jury when passing through theshearing or other ing machine to be actuated by protuberances on cloth finishing elements'of the machine. the face of the cloth. such cloth finishing machines it is customary, Fig. 2 is'a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in order to expedite the feeding of pieces of cloth in Fig, 1. showing the parts in relation to the'up- 7 through the inachina to'sew. a considerable numwardtravelling piece of cloth.

10 her of lengthsofcloth end to end so as to run, Fig; 3 is a left hand elevation of the feeler them through the machine in a continuous strip. mechanism in association with suitable cloth guid- Obviously, this transverse. seam or sewing proing members that guide the cloth across its front; duces an extrathickness or" the cloth, which will Fig. 4 is a front elevation illustrating a modified interfere withthe proper operation of the cloth construction of feeler apparatus.- I

. 'finisliing elements, particularlythe, shearing ele- While I have shown in other pendingapplicaments, whenthe strip'isied continuously through tions selectiveieeler mechanisms employing; a the machine. I I plurality of feeler fingers cooperatively arranged ,,While the concept of using a seam detecting to require novement of a predetermined number feelerfor controlling means for opening theshear 0i feeler fingers in order to effect theenergizing elements, or otherwise protecting the seam of seam -protecting means, the present improve-" against injury, as the cloth approaches the operment difiers from such selective feeler'mechanism ating orishearin'g line, is; old yet 'the'automatic in that the feeler mechanism herein is made seam detectingfeelers oi'theprior art have been selective not through the use of a plurality of subject to severe 'criticisinan'd objection because coasting feeler fingers but through the agency of the feelermechanism is equally actuated by a asingle ieeler finger which is made selective by seamor by bunches, knots or slubs on theface of making provision for the disengagement of the the cloth of relativelynarrow extent or width; feeler finger from narrow protuberances on the The feeler' mechanismconstituting the present cloth before the feeler mechanism' efiects the invention is constructed andarranged to act on energizing of the'seam-protecting means, while 30 a selective principle which avoids operation of such disengagement'does not occur when the the seam-protectingmechanism or shear opening feeler finger is engaged by a transverse seam mechanism through contact. with a passing'slub, passing by it. a bunch for other protuberance of re1atively nar-' In the preferred form of the invention illusrow width transversely of thecloth, while at the trated 'in the drawing, the feelerv finger 1 is 5 sametime insuring action or energizing; of the pivotally mounted on a rockshaft 2 that is disseam-protectin'g means by each transverse seam posed behind the face of the upward travelling or sewing that passes bythe feeler. j cloth and int. plane at substantially right angles "Iheunderlying principle of the present inven-- to the face of. the cloth; The body of the feeler tionfis. embodied ina feeler mechanism thatiwill fingeryl, therefore, lies in substantial parallelism 40 begin its movement 'whether engaged by atrans with the plane of the adjacent face of the cloth verse seam, or byv a narrow bunch, or other proand slightly separatedtherefrom, provision betuberance, butwhich fails to complete the necesing made for engaging a passing protuberance on sary fmovement to energize the seam-protecting the'cloth'by providing the feeler with a'forwardly means by automatically disengaging itselfaiter projecting cloth-engaging member or' part I the initial movement from a narrow bunch or extending for a short distance transversely of the protuberance. y c cloth. This feeler finger 1 is slidinglymounted This and other features of the invention will be in a yoke or fork 3 that is fastened to the shaft 2 "particularly described in the, following specifica and between the arms of the fork'isa'rranged a tion 'ahdwill be defined in the claims hereto ancompression "spring 4, one end of which thrusts 5O neXd- 1 k V against an arm3 of the fork whilethe other ,In the accompanying drawinglhave illustrated end thrusts against a stop or pin 5 carried by a siiiiple and convenient embodiment of the printhat portion of the feeler finger that lies between "ciple'ls oiithi's'invention and a1soa'modified form the two hearing or supporting arms comprising 55 'Q ft I I the fork. The feeler finger is made oblong in v lnitherdiawiyng V p crosssection to conform to oblong bearings in the fork to prevent turning or twisting of the feeler finger when engaged by the cloth.

provided with a downwardly projecting arm 6 which is connected through a pivotal link 7'with a rockerarm '8 swin'gable about-a fixed axis and carrying at its lower end an antifri'ction roller engaging the free end portion of a'stop-fingenfl which is secured to another rock'shaftlfl. 10h

this rock shaft 19 is secured the pawl 11 that is? rocked into interlocking engagementwith a ratchet 13 by means of a spring 12, which spring is normally prevented fr'oin-acting bythe' ena- Fig; is 'shown'a'modified form of the invention Easement of the stop fingers with-thg n the rocker arm 8. 1

Since the cloth-engaging 'inemb'r il lpf the 'Such rocking movement or the finger in a plane parallel with the face of the'cloth'causes a clock wise rockingmovement of the rock shaft 2 The 1 link '7.transmits therocking movement.tothe rock'arm 8,-.but-if the rocking movement of the feelerifinger" and'rock shaft is. slight theroller will not clear the step finger. 9, .as the. parts are proportioned, but .a further I continuationotthe rocking movement-willsshift. the roller clear of th'ston finger 9 allowing the spring. 12 toactuate the pawl into engagement withthe'ratchet, which ratchet whenso heldagainst rotation acts. to start other mechanism described in the. earlier. joint application of myself and JohnW. Hogue, Serial Not-591,829 bH'G WhlCh forms no part of the in.-

vention' claimed-in this application-and is there.- forenot shown cr described indetail; It is sum; cient to state-that through the release of the rock shaft; 10 seamsprotecting mechanim ofanysuitablety'pe is energiaedor. rendered active. a.

, There .of course, no need of actuatingithe feeler' mechanism. to energizing position when ltrisengaged only by a knot, slub-- or bunch and therefore plfwision ismade for disengaging the feeler finger by: imparting amovementathereto transversely or -the cloth, so that itsclOth-engaging tip 1 will be moved out of engagement with; the-actuating protuberance 'onthe cloth.

, To effect this disengagement :thei fe eler finger is slidably mountedin the i yoke 3, as previously explained, and. is provided withla projecting boss or :lug 51 extending rearwardly. into the, path of the revolving teeth on the continuously: rotated wheel l5.v V

'As shown in 'Fig.- 1, the.- ieeler. normally lies slightly below the levelof, the wheel 15 so that thelug 1 isnotlengaged by the-revolvingqteeth ofn-the wheel. When; however; the feeler finger is lifted a short; distance bythe travel of :theengagingprotuberance; on; the clotin 'thelug .l is'carried into the plane'of the revolving Whee1'15 and is slid-inithe directionnf its longitudinal axis through its' bearings ,in thefork 3. This 9. However, should a transverse seam 0f the 1 gizing position.

cloth engage the feeler fingertip, such transverse movement or displacement of the ifeeler finger will not disengage it from the seam which extends entirely across the cloth. Consequently, the upward swing of the feeler finger will continue a sufficient distance to swing the roller carrying armfree from the. stopffin'ger 9, thereby energ'izing' the seam-protecting mechanism; One advantageof using a powerdriven member, such as the tooth retracting wheel 15,'is thatthe sliding of 'the finger'against the yielding resistance of the'spring' is-efiected with the minimum of drag on the cloth, although the spring used in any case'should' be'a rather-light one.

iich the shifting of the finger to disengagerithfromfia slub ior the like is eflfected by meansof aiguide l8 adjustably secured to a supporting rod 19 byfsetscrew engagement. This guide,.by.,its engagement with a roller 20 carried by thefinger, iihpartsa lateral. shifting or retracting movement to the finger which serves to .disengageit'from a inlet or slub in the first partof its. .upwardmovement, while allowing continuance'i'of the upward movement a sufli cientvdistance. to, energize the seam-pr0tecting meanslwhenever. the' feele'r is engaged by a seam across the cloth; 'lhe-sl'idable finger 1 telescopes through the arms, of the yoke 3,'as before, and rocks the arm 6,b1it'as shown in Fig. 4 instead of extending thestop finger 9a substantial distance beyond the end of the rocker arm 8, .lost motion,

before releasing' th finger, is secured by providing the. connecting linkfl 'with a pin and slot connectionawith'th'e rocking arm 6, sothat the first part of the rockingmovement of the rock shaft and. arm 6 doesI.not shift the roller arm 8 but a continuance of the rocking movement, after thepiri h'as'engaged the .end of the slot, acts to clear the roller from the-finger 9. In this form ofithe invention there is no spring tension to be overcome but mere1y .the weight of the feeler parts whichlact togreturn the ,feelei' in both forms to. normalposition of rest. v

Aslthez-clothtravels upward-in front of the ieeler itiis guided by. any suitable guide means. such as cross bar .16. and the guide rods or rollers 17 located at the front of the machine. The

low ler roller. or guide. 16 positioned at a high. enough level, relative to the normal position of the feeler tip, to ..maintain 'engagementof the seam with the feeler tip up to avheight where the feeler has functioned .to energize the seamposition by a passing cloth-seam extending transversely of the cloth, and. means forshifting said 7 V ,fingerctransversely of the cloth to release thefinsliding movementtransversely of the cloth-serves I i to disengage the feeler; finger from its-actuating slub or bunch zso thatthefeelenrelievedof the actuating "engagement with the-bunch,- is free to return to normal position-of rest. As-before ex- ;plained; this: slight movementis not suificient :to disengagethe'roller arm 8 from :the stop finger gerffrom engagement witl'ia narrow protuberance on the cloth before the feeler is moved to ener- 2. A 'selective feeler mechanism-for energiiing seam-protecting means embracing a feeler finger pivotally mounted on an axis substantially.per-

pendicular to the plane of the cloth travelling by or seam extending across the width of the cloth and moved thereby about its axis to energizing position, and means for disengaging said feeler from a narrow protuberance on the cloth before the feeler reaches energizing position.

3. Aselective feeler mechanism for energizing seam-protecting means embracing a feeler arranged in, position to be engaged and moved by.

. latter movement acting to disengage it from the narrow protuberance before reaching energizing position. I

-ment before the feeler has reached energizing position and thereby disengaging it froma narrow protuberance on the cloth in order to prevent the feeler from energizing seam-protecting means.

- 6. A selective feeler mechanism embracing a feeler finger arranged in close proximity to the face of the cloth and movable in a plane parallel to the face of the passingcloth and positioned to be engaged and moved by a protuberance on the cloth, means for retracting the feeler transversely of thecloth-and thereby disengaging it from a narrow protuberance on thecloth while permitting the continuance of the engagement between the feeler finger and a transverse seam until the feeler-has reached energizing position.

, 7. A feeler mechanism for energizing'seamprotectingmeans embracing in combination with suitable cloth guiding means, a feeler finger positioned in close proximity to the face of the cloth that is opposite the guiding means and movable when engaged by a'transverse seam of the cloth to energizing position, the guiding means being arranged in relation to such energizing position to direct the seamed portion of the cloth away from said feeler finger to release it from engage- V ment therewith beyond the energizing position of the feeler, said feeler being also movable in a direction transversely of the cloth to release it from engagement with a narrow protuberance on the cloth before the feeler finger reaches energizing position.

8. A feeler mechanism for energizing seamprotecting means embracing a feeler finger disposed to be engaged and moved to energizing po- I sition by a transverse seam across the cloth, means for guiding the seamed portion of the cloth out of engagement with the seam beyond the en'- ergizing position of the finger, and means-for shifting the finger transversely of the cloth before the finger has moved to energizing position.

. 9. A feeler mechanism for energizing seamprotecting means embracing a rock shaft perpendicularto the face of the travelling cloth, a seam engaging feeler finger carried by said rock shaft to rock the same when engaged and moved by a seam, means for moving said finger transversely of therockshaft before the fingeris moved to energizing position, and means actuated by the rock shaft after such transverse movement of the finger to start the seam-protecting means in action.

10. A feeler mechanism forenergizing seamprotecting means embracing a rock shaft perpendicular to the face of the travelling cloth, a seam engaging feeler finger slidably carried by said rock shaft and movable transversely of the rock shaft against yielding resistance, a rotating member arranged to engage said feeler finger after its initial seam-induced movement to impart transverse movement to the finger against such yielding resistance before the feeler. finger is moved by the seam to energizing position, whereby the feeler finger is disengaged from a narrow protuberance on the cloth but continues in engagement with'a transverse seam on the cloth.

11. A feeler mechanismfor energizing seamprotecting means embracing a feeler finger movable about apivotal axiswhen engaged by a seam on the cloth travelling by and also movable transversely of its axis, guiding means arranged to engage and retract 'said feeler finger as it is moved about its axis by the travel of the cloth, and means actuated during the latter part of the seam-induced movement of the feeler finger to cause energizingofthe seam-protecting means.

12; In a feeler mechanism for controlling seam protecting means of a cloth finishing machine, a feeler finger mounted in'position to be engaged by a passing protuberance on the cloth and movable by such engagement a predetermined distance with the cloth, and means for disengaging said feeler finger from a narrow protuberance before reaching its operative position for acting 

